Bottle-capping device



Dec. 10, 1929. G. E. STRANDT BOTTLE CAPPING DEVICE Filed June 25, 192

al/ I A TTORNEKS',

fatented fiec. M3, 1229 NETE STATES PATENT QFE'ECE Application filed June 25,

This invention relates to improvements in capping devices for mil bottles and similar receptacles, with par icular reference to mechanisms of that class in which the capping operations are manually performed, although the invention is also applicable to power operated capping machines.

The object of the invention is to improve capping devices of the general type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States to Gustav Strandt No. 1,0 LOA53, dated October 8, 1912, whereby the cap inserting pressure may be more advantageously exerted, with less tendency to tip the bottle or unbalance the capper; also to provide improved means for operating the cap feedingslide and in general to simplify the mechanism, reduce the cost of construction and provide for greater smoothness and reliability in operation.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a capper embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view drawn to a plane which includes the axes of the plunger operating rod and of the cap magazine.

Figure 3 is a detail plan view of the cap feeding slide and its actuating brackets with one bracket partially broken away.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The capper is intended to be operated by hand in the same general manner as that disclosed in said former patent, the same being applied to the bottle and downward pressure upon the handle simultaneously applied to force the cap into the mouth of the bottle in one operation. When the handle is lifted, it first retracts the cap inserting plunger and then removes the capper from the bottle and simultaneously inserts a new cap underneath the plunger.

A base portion 1 has a bottle engaging bellshaped mouth piece 2 adapted to fit over the mouth of the bottle and is also provided with laterally projecting slide supporting arms 3 along which the cap feeding slide 4 moves in substantially the same manner as disclosed in said former patent for the purpose of feeding caps from the bottom of the magazine 5 Q1? MIIJJVAUKEE, WIS.C(J-NSIN, ASSIGIIOR, BY MES-NE ASSIGN- ION, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOVJA, A CORPORA- ING DEVICE 1926. Serial No. 118,447.

into the path of the cap feeding plunger 6. These parts may be assumed to be of ordinary construction requiring no further description as to their general structure and mode of operation. The magazine 5 is secured, 1 referably integrally, to a guide barrel 7 for a plunger actuating rod. Offset cylindrical portion 8 is provided with laterally projecting perforated ears 9 through which screws 10 may pass to secure the barrel and the maga Zine to the base portion. The enlarged cylindrical portion 8 of the barrel is adapted to receive the plunger 6 when the latter is raised. The upper portion 7 of the barrel is offset in the direction of the magazine and the plunger actuating rod 12 extends through it and is secured to the plunger near one margin of the latter,i. e. the margin nearest to the magazine. The upper end of the rod 12 1s provided with an operating handle 13 whereby the plunger may be raised and lowered in the cylindrical portion 8 and in the corresponding plunger receiving bore 14 in the base which constitutes a continuation of the barrel 8.

The handle 13 is elbowed, and its downwardly projecting portion has brackets secured to the respective sides thereof as inclicated at 16. These brackets have horizontally extending portions 17 and downwardly extending arms 18 provided with substantially vertical slots 19 obliquely offset at their lower ends toward the space at the respective sides of the magazine as indicated at 20 in Figure 1. Bell cranks having elbowed portions secured at 22 to the respective sides of the magazine have short arms 23 provided with studs 24 engaged in the slots 19. Each bell crank also has a long arm 25 which has a somewhat disk shaped lower extremity 26 loosely engaged in a slot 28 which extends vertically through a slide actuating bracket 29.

The slide 4 comprises a thin disk of steel having laterally projecting side margins 9 provided with a notch 20 to receive the associated bracket 29. The portions 30 of the slide extend into slits or horizontal kerfs of the bracket and are secured by means of screws 31 as best shown in Figure 3.

In operation, when the handle 13 is lifted, the plunger rod 12 moves freely in its barrel and lifts the plunger 6 into the cylindrical portion 8 of the barrel until the studs 2st of the respective bell cranks engage the oblique slot walls 35 at the lower ends of the slots 19. Thereupon the short arms of the bell crank will be swung upwardly and the long arms 25 inwardly to actuate the slide l for a cap feeding movement which carries the cap into the path of the plunger 6 underneath the latter, the cap being then supported by the arms 3 substantially as disclosed in the former patent above referred to.

Thereupon if the base is placed upon a bottle with the bell shaped member 2 covering the mouth of the bottle the handle 13 may be pushed downwardly until the plunger 6 drives the cap into sealing position in the mouth of the bottle. During the initial portion of this downward movement the cap feeding slide will be slightly retracted while the studs are traveling in the oblique lower end portions of their respective slots 19, after which the slide may remain substantially at rest until the studs engage the upper end walls of their respective slots whereupon the slide 4: will be fully retracted. This occurs during the final downward movement of the plunger 6. Thereupon the handle 13 will again be lifted to remove the capping device from the bottle. During its initial upward movement, the weight of the magazine and the associated parts will preventit from lifting until the plunger has been retracted and the bell cranks actuated to feed the next cap into the path of the plunger. The handle will then be at the limit of its relative upward movement and the entire capper will then be lifted from the bottle and applied to the next bottle to be capped, whereupon the capping operation will be repeated.

By offsetting the barrel portion 7 from the cylindrical receiving portion 8 whereby the barrel portion 7 is brought close to the wall of the magazine, it is obvious that downward pressure on the handle will naturally be exerted more nearly in line with the axial center of the cylindrical portion 8 than would otherwise be tne case, since the operator is otherwise compelled to grasp the attached portion of the handle directly above the plunger rod 12 in order to exert a direct downward pressure upon the plunger having the rod attached at the center. Also the weight of the bell shaped mouth piece 2 and of the cylinder 8 and handle 13 will tend to counterbalance the weight of the magazine and associated parts whereby the capper will be substantially balanced in the hand of the user thereby greatly facilitating its manipulation.

I claim: I

1. In a milk bottle capper having a cap inserting plunger, the combination with a plunger receiving cylinder, a cap magazine at one side of the cylinder, a plunger actuating rod secured to the marginal portion of the plunger nearest the cap magazine and an operating handle secured to the upper end of the rod and projecting across the axial line of the cylinder.

2. In a bottle capping mechanism having a cap inserting plunger and a plunger actuating handle, of a bracket operatively connected with the handle, provided with downwardly extending offset slotted portions, the slots in said portions extending vertically throughout the major portions of their lengths and obliquely at their lower ends, a. cap feeding slide and bell cranks for operating said slide having short arms provided with studs loosely engaged in said slots.

3. In a bottle capping mechanism having a cap inserting plunger and a plunger actuating handle, of a bracket operatively connected with the handle, provided with downwardly extending of set slotted portions, the slots in said portions extending vertically throughout the maj or portions of their lengths and obliquely at their lower ends, a cap feeding slide, and bell cranks for operating said slide, ha ing short arms provided with studs loosely engaged in said slots, slotted brackets inerlocked with and secured to the side margins of the cap feeding slide and loosely engaged with the long arms of the bell cranks.

4. In a bottlecapping mechanism, comprising a base having a bell-shaped bottle engaging mouth piece and a cylindrical plunger receiving cavity, a plunger receiving cylinder mounted on said base and provided with an offset guide barrel, a rod extending through the guide barrel and connected with one marginal portion of the plunger, a cap magazine at one side of the barrel and a handle secured to the rod and projecting laterally over the other side of said barrel, and means actuated from said handle for successively feeding caps into the path of the plunger, the weight of the parts on opposite sides of the guide barrel being substantially balanced.

5. In a bottle capping machine having a cap inserting plunger and a reciprocatory plunger actuating mechanism, the combination with said mechanism of a cap magazine, a cap feeding slide adapted to deliver caps from the bottom of the magazine into the path of the plunger, a slide operating lever and a device connected with the plunger actuating mechanism loosely engaging one arm of the slide operating lever to actuate such lever on the downward stroke and to impart a cap feeding movement to the slide during the final retractive movement of the plunger, said device having an inclined portion adapted to bear upon the lever connection during the initial downward movement of the plunger actuating mechanism toeffect a slight retraction of the slide and also having a portion in position to bear upon said connection for a complete retraction of the slide during the final downward movement of said mechanism while free to move along such connection at all intermediate points.

6. In a bottle capping mechanism provided with a reciprocatory cap inserting device, the combination therewith of a cap feeder provided with a lever having a power receiving arm and a feeder actuator connected with the cap inserting device and having one portion in position for sliding pressure engagement with said arm during the initial portion of its reciprocation in one direction, and also having another portion in a posit-ion to positively engage and actuate said arm during the final portion of such reciprocation, whereby to retract the cap feeder in part during the initial portion of the cap inserting stroke and in part during the final portion of the stroke while allowing the cap feeder to remain at rest during the intermediate portion of the stroke. v

7 In a bottle capping mechanism, the combination of a cap feeder provided with a slide for successively pushing capsinto capping position and a cap inserting plunger provided with means for effecting a two step retraction of the slide at different stages of the cap inserting movement of the plunger.

GUSTAV E. STRANDT. 

